OK this is my first post here; I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Cody Green. I am a car builder. I work at a Hot Rod Shop, and a Junkyard. I love all things mechanical. Iâ€™m a family man, and a Christian. That about sums things up quickly.

Anyways, I'm always looking to educate myself and find good reads. I have owned many cars in my life, but the one that taught me the most was my 1990 300zx Twin Turbo. I got it when I was 18. It was a lemon. It was the kind of car you had to fix something on every weekend. I finally gave up on it and sold it to another guy. It left a hole in me. I tried to fill it with a 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS/SC. But FWD FTL. Then I bought a 1992 Nissan 240zx. It was a great little car. Fun, but there are a million of them everywhere, and they are not the most respected car. After I was done with school I began to look for another Z. I wanted a beater. I wanted a cancer free body but the rest didnâ€™t matter. I wanted to do a full restoration. And a beater I felt would be a great starting point for something that will go under the knife. I landed on a red 1990 NA with 176,000 miles for $1500. This is the first NA I have ever driven. Itâ€™s definitely much slower than a TT but that is a no brainer. I love the LSX engine. Itâ€™s a fantastic base for a build. Good oiling system, Good structural rigidity, Heads that move air, yet keep velocity, and a massive aftermarket. So itâ€™s also is no brainer for a replacement to the Vg30de.

I have searched and searched and found very few Completed builds. I get this is not the easiest chassis to swap engines into. This is probably due to the fact that the z32 was one of the first cars to be designed with CAD. I watched a Japanese film years ago on Nissans build of the z32. If my memory serves me right they designed, built, and tested the engine first. And then they literally built the car around the Engine. This is the reason engine swaps are sooooo difficult on the z32. And also why the Engine bay is so cramped. This is why so many try and so many give up. Well Iâ€™m done giving up. I say CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! But before i started my build, i need to compile as much information as i can about others builds. I realized this would not only be a great help to myself but many many others.

The route i would like to take is to not cut the firewall or tranny tunnel. Much like many others. I instead would like lower the K member. Not by hacking it up, but by building a jig that i can then build a new k member that will better fit a factory or aftermarket pan. Which brings me to my next point.

Oil Pans... Guys i know im just one guy saying this but lets use some common sense for a moment. You gotta have a rear sump pan, on any project you got that is going to be used for any kind of racing. I know the S Chassis (240sx) guys use those front sump pans all the time. But for anyone who takes racing seriously. And anyone who is going to use there cars in a performance environment. You just gotta have a rear sump pan. Maybe you think im crazy, but a lot of really smart people, and great racers agree with me. Here is a real easy test you can do if you want to know why you need one. Get a front sump pan and fill it with the ammount of oil it would hold when installed. Now get in your buddys fast car, and bring lots of dry soak and shop towels as well as a change of clothes. Now you sit shotgun and hold the pan in relation to how it would sit in the car. now have your buddy floor the car. You can have all the baffles and trap doors you want. But when you hit the gas. That oil is goin to the back. If your just on the street and daily driving a front sump is just fine. but if you are ever gonna do any kind of racing with your car, get a rear sump. Or get a dry sump and never worry! Whew... Im done ranting.

I would like the help of everyone to compile a list of links to successful LS swapped z32 builds. There are so many incomplete builds out there. Letâ€™s do ourselves a favor and make a list of completed builds we can all use as a reference. I'll start.

This one is really only a good picture reference... but atleast it was completed

Hey thanks. Mine swap is a ways off as well. But like I always say "While you wait, educate and accumulate." I'm honestly surprised that swap kit manufacturers haven't nailed a kit down for the Z32 yet. Honestly it's embarrassing. There are plenty of NA and frustrated TT owners that would have swapped by now if a kit was readily available.

Most kits on the market are bolt-on . The Z32 requires a little fab work and there were not that many units built and sold ( compared to other Z models ) . My goal is to keep HVAC system because it has awesome HVAC compared to my other Zs , both of my 78 and 83 have no working HVAC after the LS1 conversion . The 83 is completely removed . Trying to get , at least , the heater to work on the 78 .

Oh I am right there with you. When I build a car it still has to be practical. It must have ac, ps, windshield wipers, defrost, etc. I wannabe able to take it on road trips and be comfortable. I want to be able to take my wife out to dinner in it.

Not an entire swap kit, but it's the most I've seen offered as of yet.

^^^^THIS is very helpful! I had thought about keeping the VG Trans. This may make the swap much easier! Im not sure about their accessory belt drive yet i would really like to see some pictures. I may end up buy their adapter kit and getting a t56 just to weigh my options. I also had a thought... I know the trans tunnel is always an issue with a GM transmission. Especially right at the firewall. So i have been looking the the differences in clearance between the F-body and Quicktime Bellhousings. Here is a couple pics tho show what i am talking about.

It is pricey. Considoring you can but a nice T-56 for that. But a lot of people will go that route i think simply because they wont have to chop up and re-fab the tranny tunnel, and can keep their HVAC system. I know its important to me. South Texas summers are way to hot to not have AC. I will probably get a t56 first and the Quicktime bellhousing and do some test fitting. If it doesnt work out even after I Fab up a nice K member. I have decided i am also probably going to Fab a custom pan, or Mod one. Probably both. Just to see what works out better. But i agree about the tranny possibly not holding up. I have been doing some thinking. And this would be a couple years off but i may end up manufacting kits if this all works out. The Z32 guys really need something bolt in. It probably isnt it as high of demand as the 240sx stuff cuz 240's are cheap and you can find them all over craigslist. But I enjoy figuring stuff out and simplifying things. Fab work is something i do on a daily basis. If i could come up with a K member, Tranny mount, and Pan; we'd be 3/4 of the way there. Headers is something i have never done. But that doesnt mean i wont give them and shot.

One thing i am afraid of though... is the cooling system. I have talked to 2-3 z32 v8 swapped guys. Not all LSX swaps. But they have all had over heating issues. And i just know i am gonna have to deal with this because it gets sooo hot here. Hopfully a nice triple pass radiator and some wicked fans will do the trick.

Also i found another pic of a quicktime bellhousing looks to me like there is waaaay more clearance but we shall see.

Damn ! I was thinking auto conversion . If a T56 is too big for Z32 trans tunnel then an auto is out of the question . Would like to do the T56 conversion but my Z is an auto . And a standard donor is harder to find , also cost a lot more . More labor and additional parts for me to do with standard conversion . Keep on posting , great info so far .

Mine also is an auto. But i plan on doing a 5 spd swap before i do the LSX swap. Again i am just doing this to weigh my options. Whatever route i decide to not go i will just sell off all the parts i don't need. And atleast then I can document on here why i went the route i did, so others have it as a reference. I have found quite a few other builds... just been busy and have not posted them up yet. Got a little guy in the house who is going through that teething phase. On a positive note... I scored a nice 6.0 Block and bottom end at the yard i work at the other day. I'm thinking about investing in a foam LSX block for mock up. I feel like it would really help when designing mounts and a pan. The list of parts just keeps growing.

Those mock up blocks and trans are pricey . They are not worth getting for one time use . Think it's about 300-500 for the LS longblock and not sure about trans. . I'd rather put that money else where . Wish there's a place where you can rent one . .

Yeah i just checked that out $427 for a mock up block. Forget that. I work at a scrap yard. We get like 20+ 5.3ls motors in a week. looks like i found my mock up. I've have been kicking around the idea of puting together a 6.0 with a 4.8 crank in it. Which would make it a 5.3. I have seen some guys have good luck with these combos. Anyways... found a good build where a guy kept his TT 5pd Trans. you can see it here=>

Im still thinking this may be a route i may go first. I spoke to a transmission builder here in houston who recommended me to another performance transmission builder here in Houston, who thinks a TT 5spd properly rebuild with some performance thrown at it could be more than capable. I guess i will try a stock one and see. Iron out the weak points one by one. I need to take a break from buy parts and save up and buy a new daily driver so i can park my Z and start tearing into it. I'm really not intimidated too much by this swap.

Oh yeah, I also spoke to Yury at Wiring specialties and he said he could make me a harness that would be a nice plug and play harness and all the factory gauges would work.... sounds good to me.

Ok it has been awhile. Here is where i am at. I have acquired an RS5R30A transmission. I have an LQ9. I have a set of L92 heads. As of right now i have decided to go the route of using the Nissan 5spd, obviously. Iâ€™m working on making an adapter plate, flywheel, spacer, and pilot bushing. I have found a technical drawing of an lsx so i have all the measurements i need for the GM side of the adapter. What i absolutely cannot find is a technical drawing/ blueprint set for the vg30 or the RS5R30A so that i can get the bolt pattern measurements and crank or shaft center points. I have searched high and low and found nothing. I absolutely need this info before i can move on. If anyone has this or can help it would be greatly appreciated.

SuperHatch, in response to what you posted previously... I have not contacted loj to ask them for their dimensions because I figure why the heck would they give me half the recipe to their product. I would of course offer to pay them for the information. I may get in touch with them if I cannot find the measurements any other way. Other-wise my other option is it take a VG to a good machine shop and pay them to measure it out. Iâ€™m working on getting a 3rd vehicle for my wife and I. Once I accomplish that I can begin removing my engine and transmission and measure it all out myself. I have made adapter plates before and it can be tedious, but I will do it if I have to.